Microsoft AirSim
Open-source simulator for autonomous vehicles from Microsoft AI & Research.
Overview
AirSim is an open-source, cross-platform simulator for autonomous vehicles, including drones and cars, built on Unreal Engine. It is designed as a platform for AI research to experiment with deep learning, computer vision, and reinforcement learning algorithms. AirSim provides realistic simulations of environments and vehicle dynamics, and exposes APIs to retrieve data and control vehicles in a platform-independent way.
✨ Key Features
- Open-source and free to use
- Built on Unreal Engine for photorealistic rendering
- Cross-platform (Windows and Linux)
- Supports software-in-the-loop (SIL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation
- APIs for Python and C++
- Extensible and customizable
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Strong focus on aerial robotics (drones) in addition to ground vehicles
- Developed and supported by Microsoft Research
- High-fidelity simulation with Unreal Engine
Unique Value: Provides a free, open-source, and photorealistic simulation platform for AI research on autonomous vehicles, with a particular strength in aerial robotics.
🎯 Use Cases (4)
✅ Best For
- Used by researchers at Microsoft and other institutions for a variety of autonomous systems research projects.
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- As an open-source research platform, it may lack the dedicated support and polished user experience of commercial simulators.
🏆 Alternatives
Offers a strong focus on both aerial and ground vehicles, and benefits from the backing of a major research organization (Microsoft Research).
💻 Platforms
✅ Offline Mode Available
🔌 Integrations
🛟 Support Options
- ✓ Live Chat
- ✓ Dedicated Support (NA tier)
💰 Pricing
Free tier: Full access to the simulator and its features.
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